AN Airbus employee was killed in a hit and run accident as he returned from a night out with colleagues in the French city of Toulouse.

A car sped through a red light and ploughed into Jonathan Dodd, 35, on a pedestrian crossing in the early hours of Wednesday, November 2.

The married father-of-one, based at the Broughton Airbus factory, had been sent to work at the company's French assembly plant earlier that week.

An inquest in Flint heard how Mr Dodd, of Wood Lane in Hawarden, had been for a meal with colleagues on the Tuesday evening and was returning to his hotel when the collision occurred.

In written evidence, read out to the court, fellow Airbus worker Chris Salisbury said he had accompanied Mr Dodd to the pedestrian crossing.

He said his colleague had consumed a few bottles of lager but there was no suggestion of him being drunk.

The pair had left a restaurant at

11.30pm and were walking back to their hotel on what was described as a clear night.

The roads were dry and well-lit by street lights.

Mr Salisbury said he and Mr Dodd reached a junction where they had to cross a four-lane, one-way carriageway.

They waited for the signal to turn green, then Mr Salisbury walked out on to the pedestrian crossing.

He said: 'There was visibility for half-a-mile and it was clear all the way.

'There were definitely no vehicles approaching the crossing within 100m.

'The next thing I knew, I saw Jonathan on his back. He wasn't moving; he wasn't conscious and there was blood on his face.' The driver of the vehicle did not stop. An ambulance was called and Mr Dodd was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.12am.

His body was flown back to Britain and a post-mortem examination at Wrexham Maelor Hospital found he had suffered a haemorrhage in his brain after sustaining a fractured skull.

Delivering a verdict of accidental death, North East Wales deputy coroner John Gittins said: 'He had gone out for what should have been a pleasant evening with his work colleagues.

'Unfortunately, despite taking every precaution to cross safely, it would appear a driver has come through a red light and collided with Mr Dodd resulting in a fatal head injury.'

Mr Dodd's widow, Claire, said she had been informed by the French authorities a person had been arrested in relation to the hit and run, but a trial date had yet to be set.